Opinion: Why The Albert Kelly Incident Is A Wake-up Call For Super League

Opinion: Why The Albert Kelly Incident Is A Wake-up Call For Super League
14:46, 26 Apr 2018

It’s been an interesting few days since a video of Hull FC star Albert Kelly emerged on social media drunk and verbally abusing a woman.

Player behaviour in Super League has been in the public eye recently, also partly because Hull KR's Thomas Minns tested positive for a banned substance last week, and yesterday it was revealed Castleford winger Garry Lo had been stood down for selection because he is voluntarily assisting the police with an enquiry. Three major incidents, all in the space of a week.

But what struck me particularly about the Kelly episode was both the lack of comment and action from both his club, Hull FC, and the governing body, the RFL. There has also been a lack of coverage in the UK media. The ugly video was covered extensively by media in Kelly’s native Australia, where player scandals receive huge column inches and also in New Zealand. Apart from being buried briefly at the end of one story in a UK paper about something else, the story was virtually ignored in England, at least at first.

Only on Monday, roughly around 48 hours after the video came to light, did Hull FC comment publicly. All they said was: “The club has dealt with it internally”. No more details on what that entailed, what punishment, if any, had been handed out. No comment on the abuse, nor any public apology - effectively trying to sweep it under the carpet.

To me, and to many others, this was quite shocking. Contrary to what some passionate Hull FC fans might think, I don’t think Albert Kelly should be sacked or ‘hung, drawn and quartered’ for his actions. He has not committed a major crime or a heinous act, like some others.

A public apology, and perhaps being stood down for one game or two would suffice. Or a maybe a small fine, but that’s it. He made a mistake but he can be forgiven and we can move on. But surely a club, and indeed the governing body, doesn’t condone a woman being called a “slut” and “whore”? But by not actually publicly condemning that behaviour, they explicitly condone it.

Some have pointed out that because of rugby league’s small profile in the UK compared with say football, cricket or rugby union, the story hasn’t caused much of a ripple in the UK media. But if that was Harry Kane, Joe Root or Owen Farrell in that video, what would the reaction be? As one journalist put it, if Kelly was playing in the NRL in Australia when that video came out he would have been stood down immediately, and with his past record, likely sacked.

And just because Kelly is a little known rugby league player in England, does that mean this sort of behavior is OK? Is that type of abuse acceptable in the sport that calls itself “the family game”? That has just launched its own womens competition and is trying to get more girls playing the 13-man code? I doubt it.

Just because Super League doesn’t get much media attention, does that mean it should have poor standards? No.

Albert Kelly is a fantastic player. He can do things on a rugby league field that few others can. He has speed, smarts, strength, an excellent kicking and passing game. He is also a player who has had a chequered career littered with off-field incidents involving alcohol. Already he has been sacked by three different clubs in his career because of off-field antics. He is arguably only playing in Super League because no one wanted him in the NRL because of his off-field actions.

Speaking this week to people who know Kelly well, they say he is a genuinely good person with a bad relationship to irregular binge drinking. His past record confirms that. I have only interviewed him once and he came across as polite and friendly.

They say he has had a tough upbringing, and from that video, he clearly needs help. I sincerely hope he gets the help he needs. He clearly is a huge talent. He also has a family, including two young daughters, to provide for. But it is unclear from Hull FC and the RFL if he is, or will get, that help. There is simply a cone of silence.

Some fans seem to forget that in the modern sporting world, professional sportsmen and women are role models. They are held to higher standards of behaviour. Rightly or wrongly, that is a fact. That is because children look up to them. They are ambassadors for their sport. They are paid well and perform in front of thousands, hence the better standards of behaviour required.

Some rugby league fans in the UK either seem unaware of this or simply want to ignore it. But what was acceptable behavior in the 1970s or 1980s, or whenever in the past, is actually not acceptable now. Whether Albert Kelly was provoked or not is not the issue, though seem to believe it is.

BBC Radio Humberside - Sports Talk, 25/04/2018, Radford expects Kelly to play in France
BBC Radio Humberside - Sports Talk, 25/04/2018, Radford expects Kelly to play in France

If he was provoked, what he did was still wrong. It doesn’t excuse or defend what he said, it just means both he AND the woman were in the wrong. It is no an excuse for his behaviour. As the professional athlete, he needs to be aware of the situations he is in and act accordingly. It is more difficult to do that when you are clearly heavily inebriated in public.

Super League needs more sponsors, it needs more kids playing rugby league and picking up a ball. To do that, it needs to be run more professionally and be transparent. It needs to showcase the right image. It needs proper leadership.

The handling of this incident by both the club and the governing body has been incredibly poor. What could have been dealt with quickly and effectively, and moved on, has not because their actions have been completely inadequate. Administrators have been found wanting.

Sadly it is a common occurrence in Super League, and it something that is holding the sport back.

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